


Sanctuary of Stardust

by Sheii



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst and Humor, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mystery, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheii/pseuds/Sheii
Summary: For a human, the Underground can be a scary place. However, the Surface might be even worse. With time out of sync and reality slowly fragmenting around them, can monsters and humans work together to save themselves or will the darkness swallow them alive?
Relationships: Frisk & Sans (Undertale), Frisk/Sans (Undertale)
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue - The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something I started writing last year when I was stuck inside during the quarantine. I've never used Ao3 before, so I hope I'm doing it right... If you want to read this story with Ads, you can view my work on FF as well. I go by Sheii Bae there.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small child falls into the Underground.

A weak beam of light flitted around in the darkness below unable to focus an any visible location. This could be due to the shaky hand holding the small sunstone or perhaps it was just that there was really nothing down there. The darkness below appeared endless and all consuming.

"Where's the bottom?" A small child questioned aloud, confusion and worry creeping into her voice. "I should be seeing it by now, shouldn't I? ...How far does this stupid hole go?"

Frustrated, the child shoved the strange runic stone back into her mouth and grabbed the thick rope she was dangling from with her now free hand. It was getting exhausting climbing down then having to climb back up to try to extend the rope but she was DETERMINED to do what she had set out to do. Even if her hands had blisters now and her muscles ached and cried for her to take a break, the small child was just too stubborn to listen.

"This has to be enough. It has to! There isn't anything else I can use..." Tugging the knot as tightly as she could, the child stepped back to study the large multicolored pile of rope, cloth and vines. The vines, convenient as they were, had come from the surrounding area. What they were, was unclear. But they were strong and that was all that really mattered at this time.

Carefully, the makeshift rope was lowered into the seemingly bottomless hole. This was a secret place only a few people knew about, and it was secret for a very good reason. Everyone knew about the war between humans and monsters. Even if this particular child wasn't that interested in learning about the specifics, there was no escaping the horror stories whispered by the adults. Such a fresh memory, for better or worse, wasn't easily forgotten. But there weren't too many people left who actually knew where the monsters went. Those who did know, spoke of a cave near the summit of Mt. Ebott, the tall mountain that loomed over the old Kingdom of Magic. The once grand kingdom was now abandoned and was slowly being retaken by the forest. Near the end of the war, it had been brought to ruin and some say it was still cursed. Whether that was true or not, wasn't really important to the child. She hadn't come to explore the kingdom, she had come to brave the cave. All that mattered right now was that there was supposed to be actual real life monsters trapped under this mountain and she had to find a way to survive all by herself long enough to find what she was looking for and then make it back out, preferably in one piece.

With practiced movements, the child eagerly shimmied down the rope once more. It was much longer this time, maybe even too long now with all the added vines. This was it! She was finally gonna get to the bottom and then she could-

"No way..." The child murmured in disbelief as she reached the end of the attached vines. Dangling uselessly in the darkness, she reached into her pocket and retrieved the small sunstone. It pulsed a few times before a solid beam of light began roving around the pit of nothingness.

There was a flash of something yellow.

Eyes widening, the child quickly swung the light back towards the location of the sighting.

Nothing.

"What was that...?" Frowning, the little girl squinted into the darkness.

"Hello...?" It was silly and kind of unnerving, but she called out anyway. "Is someone down there?"

Silence was the only reply she received.

Sweat began to form on her forehead as a wobbly smile was forced onto her face. "Y-yeah, I d-didn't think so..." Completely losing her nerve, the child looked back up towards the small hole of light beckoning to her from the surface. "I-I'll try again tomorrow."

That was the plan at least. The vines, however, had different plans as they creaked and stretched and slipped, coming loose from the weak knot the child had inexpertly tied.

There was a sharp gasp in the darkness and a desperate plea of "H-help!"

But nobody came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. More's on the way!


	2. Magical Talking Flowey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hapless child learns the consequences of being rude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try to keep everyone as in-character as I can.

The gentle tickle of something soft brushing against her cheek, due to an occasional light breeze, awoke the small child. With a lackluster groan, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter to dampen the ache throbbing to life inside her head. Why did she hurt all over?

Finally, amber hued eyes cracked open and bright light rushed to meet them. Resisting the urge to snap them shut once more, the child stared towards the light, her eyes straining to adjust. A few yards above her, a makeshift rope blew lazily in the breeze as it dangled from a large hole in the ceiling of the cavern. From here, the surface didn't look very far away at all. So why did it seem like the hole was a bottomless pit before?

Wincing, the child slowly sat up from the bed of golden flowers that had acted as a cushion for her fall. Shoving the treacherous vines off that had fallen in tangles around her body, she then looked around to investigate her new surroundings.

This wasn't a cave at all. It was a room, or rather used to be a room. The walls were cracked and crumbling in some areas, overgrown with vines in other areas. It smelled damp and earthy. The only light in the room, which the flowers were taking full advantage of, was coming from the hole in the ceiling.

Shakily forcing herself to her feet, the child brushed the yellow petals off of her clothes. "Well... at least I got to the bottom. Finally." She added as an afterthought, letting an eager grin settle over her features. "Now all I gotta do is bring back proof of my bravery somehow and Father will have to reconsider!" The little girl clenched her small fists in determination. "It can't be that hard."

A moment later however, a horrible realization struck. "Oh no..."

"My bag! My supplies! My.. My knife!" Looking up at the sunlit hole in the ceiling, the child practically screeched in disbelief. How could she have forgotten to bring her bag? Of course the actual fall had been unplanned but she had gathered everything she would need for this adventure only to leave them behind just out of reach!

The little girl remained lost in a panic for a few more minutes before pulling herself back together with a deep sigh. "Its fine. Everything's okay. This will just prove how strong I am. I don't even need that stuff anyway." Saying this out loud was one thing but trying to make yourself believe it was something else entirely.

Putting on a brave face, the child took a deep breath then proceeded towards the doorway exiting the room. It had a strange seal carved into the top of the old stone arch. Wings perhaps?

Stepping into the next room, a cheerful voice rang out in greeting.

"Howdy!"

The child froze in place as she stared at the talking ...flower?

"I'm Flowey." It greeted again. "Flowey the Flower."

It WAS a flower. A talking flower. Wait, no... This was no flower at all. This was a monster! A real monster. The stories were true! Or ...maybe it was just a magical talking flower... How to tell...?

"Hmm..." Flowey tilted his head. "You're new to the Underground, aren'cha?" The flower continued, seemingly oblivious to the mental musings of the small child. "Golly, you must be so confused."

Proving this statement accurate, the child involuntarily tilted her head as well, studying the flower silently.

"Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!" Flowey smiled sweetly. "I guess little old me will have to do."

"Ready?" The flower smiled a little wider. "Here we g-"

"Are you a monster?" The child couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Or... or are you just a talking flower?"

Flowey deflated slightly from the interruption. The cheerful smile vanished and an incredulous scowl fell in place. "Well," He started, sarcasm dripping from his delicate voice. "Have you ever seen a talking flower?"

Eyebrows rose in realization. Of course she had never seen a talking flower. That would be absurd.

Taking the dumb look on the kid's face as conformation, Flowey scoffed as a ring of seeds appeared over his head, spinning slowly. "There's your answer then!" He snapped as he shot a pellet towards the child.

With a yelp, the youth just barely dodged out of the way in time to save herself from a direct headshot. A second later she had to scramble out of the way again as two more were aimed at her legs. "But I've never seen a monster either!" The child cried out as she dodged yet another volley of magical pellets. "How was I supposed to know?!"

"Next time let me finished my spiel, Twerp!" Flowey hissed, his face becoming twisted and dangerous looking.

Catching her foot on an uneven tile, the child was sent tumbling to the floor. The merciless flower didn't waste this opportunity and easily landed a blow to the little girl's shoulder. Tear's sprung to her eyes as she quickly dragged herself back to her feet.

That really hurt! For such a small monster, this flower could pack a punch.

"Don't know what you're doing?" Flowey observed with glee. "Maybe you should have let me explain things. It's too late now!"

The child watched helplessly as dozens of magical pellets appeared out of nowhere and began spinning rapidly around her in a slowly constricting circle. Was this talking flower really going to kill her? Was this really the end already? She hadn't even accomplished anything yet!

No.

The child steeled herself. This wasn't how it was going to end. She still had something important to do. Someone important to save!

"Frisk..." The little girl whispered, as the golden heart hovering in front of her chest began to glow, filling her with Courage.

"DIE!" Flowey shrieked with dark excitement as the pellets shot forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. More's on the way.


	3. You're a Goat, Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fallen child meets the kind caretaker of the Ruins.

Alarmed by the commotion echoing off the walls of the otherwise quiet ruins, Toriel rushed towards the secret flower patch. A mix of emotions, some joyous and some painful, swirled deep inside of her as she quickened her pace. If the noise was coming from that direction then it could only mean one thing.

A human.

Another poor human had fallen into the underground. Unconsciously, Toriel placed a furry hand to her chest as she urged her feet forward. Anxiety nearly consumed her at the very thought of setting eyes on another human. It had been so long. How many years had passed by since the last one? How many decades? Pushing aside an awful memory, Toriel, for better or worse, was willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt. After all, It was the right thing to do. She needed to hurry though, whatever the racket was up ahead it couldn't be good.

Her fears were justified as she came upon the scene of the completely one sided battle. With only the thought of saving the poor child before her, she summoned her magic as quickly as she could and blasted the offending flower with her fire.

The magical pellets disappeared instantly, allowing the small child to fall to their knees, panting.

"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor innocent youth..." Toriel said, relieved she had gotten there in time. Another second and it might have been too late.

Amber eyes widened fearfully when they caught sight of the large furry creature. Another monster! And this one was much larger than the flower. Jumping back to her feet quickly, the little girl took a few unsteady steps back and away from the perceived danger. Catching her heel once again on the same blasted tile, and she was back on the floor with a light thud.

"Ah, do not be afraid, my child." Toriel said apologetically, raising her hands in peace so as not to scare the little one further. "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down."

She smiled gently when she noticed the initial fear fade from the child's eyes. "You are the first human to come here in a long time." Toriel's smiled wavered slightly against her will as unpleasant memories flickered behind her eyes for a moment. Shooing them away, or at least attempting to, she smiled again. This time it felt a little forced.

"Come! I will guide you through the catacombs." Toriel offered. Without waiting to see if the child would actually follow her, she turned and began walking away. "This way."

The kid frowned as the kind monster lady left. Was she a goat? She kind of looked like a goat but she also looked like a person as well since she was standing upright and was wearing purple robes. Could monsters be people too? Trepidation rushed over already anxious nerves when the little girl realized she was now alone again. Scrambling to her feet, the child rushed after the kindly goat lady.

In the next room, the shadows of the ruins loomed above ominously. Despite everything that had just happened, the child felt a flutter of excitement coursing through her. She was filled with Courage.

As the goat lady ascended the stairs to the upper level of the ruins, the child lagged behind.

What was that? A glowing star? Should she touch it?

Tentatively, the child reached a hand to the glowing thing hovering in front of a pile of red leaves. Tendrils of light reached out for the child as if searching for something. Twisting around her injured shoulder, the light became a little brighter. The child gasped when the painful bruise on her shoulder began to heat up and tingle. To her endless fascination, the child marveled when the pain dissipated before vanishing completely. Rolling her shoulder, the child grinned. "Magic is awesome!"

Toriel had waited for them patiently in the next room. "Welcome to your new home, innocent one." She said. "Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins." With that said, she slowly walked over a series of weighted steps on one side of the room.

The kid tilted her head as she watched curiously. She would try to ignore the part about this being her new home. As welcoming as that sounded, she had other priorities.

"The Ruins are full of puzzles." The kind lady explained. "Ancient fusions between diversions and door keys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them." That said, she left to the next room.

"W-what...?" The child felt herself start to sweat. What did she just say? Fusions? Diversions? PUZZLES?! Of all the things, she was terrible at puzzles! Was this lady a teacher? Most of what the gentle monster just said had turned to white noise inside the child's head and had promptly tumbled out the other ear. She might as well have been speaking another language.

Hesitating, the child decided to dawdle a little bit. Noticing a stone tablet on the wall, she walked over to read it.

Only the fearless may proceed.

Brave ones, foolish ones.

Both walk not the middle road.

Was that a riddle? The child couldn't quite put her finger on it but something about the Ruins was becoming quite unpleasant.

The next room was easy, Toriel had labeled the switches that needed to be pressed. There was no problem solving involved much to the child's relief.

"Splendid!" Toriel had praised. "I am proud of you, little one."

The little girl didn't quite believe she deserved that praise but a happy smile appeared on her face regardless.

There was a lone dummy in the next room. With its stuffing poking out of the seams here and there and the stains marring its dingy burlap casing, the dummy looked like it had definitely seen better days.

"As a human living in the Underground, monsters may attack you." Toriel explained. She felt a pang of pity hit her when she saw the nervous expression befall the child's features. "You will need to be prepared for this situation."

"However, worry not!" She encouraged. "If you encounter a monster, strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time and I will come to resolve the conflict. Why not practice talking with the dummy. You can say anything... The dummy will not be bothered."

What in the world was this lady talking about? Giving her a blank stare, the child finally walked up to the dummy. She was supposed to... talk.. to it?

The questions were shoved aside, when the familiar golden heart appeared once again in front of her chest. What was happening? Were they in a fight? Was this a fight?! Anxiety flooded the child's system as she stepped away from the dummy and assumed a defensive position, small hands trying to cover the heart and hide it from view. She didn't know why, but she instinctively wanted to protect it. Whatever it was, she knew it was vital to her well-being.

Toriel gave the child a sad look. That flower must have really frightened the poor thing. They could work on this a little later. With a small smile, she nodded. "Avoiding confrontation altogether is another option, but if that does not work then you must know when to run."

In the next room, coincidently, proving her point, a Froggit ambushed the child in the doorway. It was a large frog monster, well larger than most frogs anyway. It hadn't really attacked either, more like it hopped up to the child curiously. One stern look from Toriel however, had it hopping away in the other direction.

Further into the room, the floor became water. A brick path extended to the other side. The problem was, spikes were protruding from the bricks in a large swath blocking them from a safe passage. Swallowing, the child stared at the pointy deathtrap incredulously. These were no Ruins. This place was a dungeon! Why else would all of these traps be down here?

Toriel hesitated in front of the trap before turning to the child apologetically. "This is the puzzle, but..." The child looked up to the kind goat lady for a moment then back to the spikes, indecision and worry written over their face. "Here, take my hand for a moment." She offered, holding said appendage towards them.

The hand was somewhat large and covered in white fur. Looking back towards the monster lady again, the little girl noticed a look of fear barely visible on her patient face. What was she scared of? The trap? That couldn't be it. After all, she knew these Ruins like the back of her hand. Hopefully. Taking the goat lady's furry hand, the child gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. Whatever was bothering her, a little encouragement couldn't hurt.

Relief swelled inside Toriel's heart as the child took her hand and smiled. The immediate rejection she had feared hadn't come after all. Human children weren't normally so trusting. Past experiences had taught her to be patient and understanding. Even so, she learned years ago that her very appearance was sometimes enough to instill deep distrust. This particular child however, shaken as they clearly were by the cruel attack from the flower, was brimming with fearless curiosity. Endearing as it may be, this would eventually put the child and possibly others in danger. They needed to be protected.

Toriel decided to test the child's bravery and independence in the next room. Giving them simple instructions of walking by themselves to the next door, the goat lady quickly left them behind.

Hiding behind the pillar at the end of the room, Toriel was baffled by how fast the small child had gotten there. Even more baffling, was the fact that they had not once looked up to search for her. Much to her chagrin, the reason finally dawned on her when the youth stopped in front of the pillar and waited expectantly.

Stepping out from behind the stone pillar, Toriel gave a slight laugh. "You found me, my child."

The little girl tilted head, a perplexed expression clearly visible. "It... it wasn't that hard." It really wasn't. The dirt and moss covering the floor of the ruins provided a perfect mold for heavy footprints.

Toriel perked up instantly at the sound of the child's voice. She was beginning to worry if they even knew how to speak. It was such a soft and delicate voice too. They must be the quiet type. Perhaps this was a very shy and timid child. Probably scared out of their minds. The poor dear.

"Why don't you have hooves?"

Toriel's train of thought was brought to a screeching halt and her empathetic considerations ceased. "W-what?"

"I mean, you're a goat, right?" The child frowned slightly. "So, why don't you have goat feet?"

If Toriel hadn't been completely covered in thick white fur, a deep blush would have been hard to miss. This child wasn't shy or timid at all! While the question was innocent enough, it had easily caught her quite off her guard. "Wh- I-I'm not a goa-" She paused for a moment then gave a deep sigh. Finally, she let a warm humored smile spread across her face and gave a light good-natured chuckle. "You are such a curious soul, young one. I don't think I have ever met someone quite like you before."

The child grinned up at her happily. "Well, I haven't ever met anyone like you either. You're a really nice goat lady, though."

Toriel gave a sudden involuntary start at the "g" word again but quickly recovered. A warm smile lit up her face and she nodded. "Thank you, my child. Thank you for trusting me. This was originally supposed to be a test to assess your independence and I can confidently say that you have proven yourself capable of being left alone for a little while. I must attend to some business now so please remain here. It is still dangerous to explore by yourself but you should be safe in this room."

Seeing the happy expression vanish from the child's face, Toriel felt pang of worry and regret. She didn't want to leave this child here alone and her maternal instincts rebelled against the very idea. Even so, she still had something important to do before she could bring them home. "I have an idea." She said. Digging into the pockets of her purple robes she pulled out an odd looking device. "I will give you a cell phone. If you have a need for anything, just call."

The child eagerly accepted the mysterious item then stared down at it in wonder. A cell phone?

"Be good, alright?" With those parting words, the kindly goat monster took her leave.

Suddenly alone now, the room became very quiet and dark. An eerie feeling descended around the child as the seconds ticked by at a painfully slow pace. A mere minute felt like an entire lifetime had just past her by. Another minute felt like an eternity trapped in limbo. The child rocked back on her heels and swung her small arms with barely contained nervous energy. From a room further back, the sound of a splash could be heard sending chills up the little girl's spine.

"I'm sorry, nice goat lady!" She apologized to the absent goat monster before rushing out of the room. What three minutes felt like, would thankfully remain a mystery to the child.


	4. "Dapperblook"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Ribbit?*

Stepping foot outside the room, the strange object Toriel had given the child rang from her clenched hand. Dropping it like it was on fire, she gasped and jump back into a defensive stance. "What? Why is it doing that?!"

The device rang again. Inching closer, she finally bent down and picked it up once again. The little screen was lit up now and the name Toriel was present in big bold symbols. Curiously, the child touched the glowing surface.

"Hello?" A familiar voice asked from inside the object. "This is Toriel. You have not left the room, have you?" How did she know?! The child stressed silently as she pressed the devise to her ear to hear the kind goat lady better. "There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try to solve them yourself. Be good, alright?"

*Click*

"Goat lady?" The child asked. "Where are you?" There was no reply. Looking down at the small rectangular box, the little girl noticed that the screen was now dark again. This must be a magical communication device. It would be useful if she could figure out how to use it.

The child tapped at the object a few times trying to turn it on when again, she almost dropped it, startled.

*Ribbit, ribbit*

Turning around quickly, the child came face to face with another Froggit monster. This one however didn't attempt to approach her. It simply sat there patiently waiting for the child's attention. "Excuse me, human."

"A talking frog!" The child exclaimed with far more excitement than fear. Why she was surprised by this was anyone's guess. After all she had already met a talking flower, evil as it may have been, and a nice talking goat lady. A talking frog was hardly surprising.

*Ribbit...*

"I have some advice for you." The frog began. "If you encounter a monster that wants to attack you, try to defuse the situation. See if you can find a way to calm it down, then the monster might not want to fight you anymore. If a monster does not want to fight, please..." It stared at her unblinking, its eyes somewhat imploring. "Show some Mercy, human."

The child tsked in indignation. "If they don't want to fight anymore, then that means I win, right? Mercy should always be shown to the surrendering side. Only dishonorable no good cheaters keep fighting when the battle is already over. I'm better than that! I'm better than him...!" Grumbling, the little human stomped away from the frog. "M'not a cheater..."

*Ribbit...?*

The room off to the side was small. Very small. In the center of a ring of red leaves stood a pedestal with a bowl resting on top. Delicately wrapped candies filled the container and a note on the side read "Take one."

Without much thought at all, the child had already swiped a candy and stuffed it into her mouth. It had a distinct, non-licorice flavor. Instantaneous joy ensued from the super sweet treat. Unconsciously, her amber eyes found their way back to the nearly overflowing bowl. Just one?

Laughing happily with a possible sugar high, the child playfully kicked through the various piles of red leaves, her pockets suspiciously overstuffed. Just for fun, she waved her hand repeatedly through another floating light. The tingling sensation was very mild this time. Maybe it was because there was nothing for the glowing star to heal? Either way, it was still amusing.

The Ruins weren't so scary once you got used to them the little girl thought as she cheerfully wandered through the poorly lit hallways. It was only when the floor beneath her feet gave way, did she realize her misjudgment. The Ruins were still dangerous!

Landing softly in a large pile of conveniently placed red leaves, the child released a small "oof" from the painless impact, leaves crinkling noisily beneath her. Once she had recovered from her initial shock, the child rolled out of the leaves and brushed herself off. Was that some kind of trap? Looking up to the ceiling, the child took note of the weakening rocks supporting the room overhead. Maybe it was a trap or maybe this place was just falling apart. Either way, trying to cross that room again was unwise. There were two sets of stairs leading out of the room she had fallen into. Two choices. Taking the stairs to the right, the little girl found her way back to the room with the crumbling floor but this time she was on the other side. Very convenient.

Entering the next room, the small device in the child's pocket rang again. This time it only startled her a tiny bit. Taking the cell phone out, the child saw Toriel again displayed on the small screen. Smiling, she pressed her finger to it expectantly.

"Hello? This is Toriel." The familiar voice said. "For no reason in particular... Which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?"

Hesitating, the child knit her eyebrows together in slight confusion. "I don't know what either of those are... Is this another test?"

There was a moment of silence from the small device before the kind goat lady's voice returned. "Oh dear... I was not expecting this. My child, have you really never tasted cinnamon or butterscotch?"

"Is it a food?" The child asked quickly, the eagerness in her voice undisguised.

"Why, yes." Toriel replied fondly. "Cinnamon is a spice that gives foods a pleasant flavor and Butterscotch has a rich buttery sweetness. Either one is good on their own but togeth-"

"Both!" The child chirped excitedly. "Can I have both?"

The device was silent again for another moment and then a light cheerful laughter was heard. "Yes, my child, you can have both. I shouldn't be much longer. Thank you again for being patient."

*Click*

Looking down at the cell phone's blank screen, the child's stomach grumbled slightly. When was the last time she'd eaten? Sure, she just ate some candy but, before that? This wouldn't have been a problem if she had just remembered to bring her bag. The kind goat lady seemed willing to give her some food though. With that thought alone, the child trudged onward. The promise of yummy food ever-present in her mind.

A trap was waiting in the next room, complete with spiked floors and a weight activated switch. On the wall was another stone tablet that most likely told a riddle. Ignoring the tablet completely, the child walked over to the protruding spikes blocking the way to the next room. Frowning, the little girl's amber eyes scanned the room for the solution to this puzzle. She really hated puzzles! It felt like her brain was going to overheat before she even attempted to put it to use.

A merciful distraction showed up just in time in the form of yet another Froggit. This one however, wasn't curious and didn't want to give sage advice. Dodging the leaping frog, the child cried out in alarm. "Stop!"

The Froggit didn't appear to be listening as it again jumped towards the small human.

Around and around the room they went. The child avoiding being hit all the while yelling angrily at the offending amphibian. "Quit attacking me!" She demanded. "What the heck do you even want?!" Tripping over yet another uneven tile, the child crashed to the ground, landing heavily on the weight activated mechanism. Pain surged from her knee and brought tiny unshed tears to her eyes. Pulling herself from the floor, the little girl sniffed and took a few steps away, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "I'm telling the goat lady about this..."

The threat went unanswered but the attacks seemed to stop. Looking back to the Froggit, the child noticed that the large frog was sitting on the weighted tile staring at something on the floor. Monster candy! A few pieces must have fallen out of her pocket when she tripped. In a snap, the frog's tongue had whipped out and the candy was gone.

Using the distraction, the child slipped past the lowered spikes safely and made it to the other side of the room. Hearing the spikes reactivate, she flinched and turned back around. The Froggit was now behind the spikes looking at the small child. It's expression seemed a little... Disappointed? Sad? Lonely? It was hard to tell since it was a frog but even so, the child crept back to the spikes. Now that she was out of danger of being crushed by the large frog, it didn't seem so scary.

*Ribbit, ribbit.*

"More?" The frog asked hopefully.

*Ribbit."

Repressing the urge yet again to acknowledge that this was indeed a talking frog, the child instead dug into her pocket and retrieved a small candy. "You want another piece?" She got a loud croak in response. "Ok." the child nodded. "But just one more. The rest are mine." Tossing it over the spikes, the frog's tongue snagged it out of the air.

"Thank you, human." Said the Froggit. "You are not so bad. I am sorry for trying to eat you."

"You were trying to eat me?!" The small human gasped.

Leaving the candy loving frog behind, the child came upon a room which floor was clearly unstable. Another dangerous trap? Or was this just the poor condition of the crumbling Ruins? There were no other routes this time, so she would have to get to the other side somehow. Deciding to just go for it, the little girl dashed across the cracked tiles as fast as she could. Hearing the floor give out behind her only encouraged her to move faster.

Once safely across, she looked back at the damage that she had undoubtably caused. As expected, half the floor was now gone and the room was now untraversable. Well... oops? She hoped nobody would notice the accidental destruction. Leaving the mess behind, the child left to the next room.

Another puzzle! Why?! These Ruins were taunting her. Spikes. Three more weight activated floor panels. Three mysteriously placed rocks. What could it all mean?! Thankfully this time there wasn't a useless unsolvable riddle hanging on the wall.

Looking at the underground canal which bridge was blockaded with spikes, an idea came to the child and with it, a mischievous grin. She didn't even need to solve this puzzle, The solution was simple; just walk across the water.

Thankfully there was no current but the water was much deeper than she had anticipated. Near the middle, her feet just barely touched the ground. Regardless... she did it! "Ha!" The child gloated as she shook the water from her hair, her clothes were now sopping wet. "I'm way too smart for these puzzles."

Unbeknownst to the child, a Whimsun, a small moth-like monster, had seen the whole thing but it had been too frightened to call the human out on their despicable cheating.

A small table with a wedge of old nearly petrified cheese waited in the next room. A small mouse hole in the nearby wall, somehow answered the unspoken question as of "Why?" Ignoring the inedible cheese, the child zoomed over to the floating light and flung herself into it. Her knee was throbbing painfully from her fall but upon contact with the glowing star, it began to tingle pleasantly as the skin repaired itself. Was it a smart idea to depend of this mysterious magic to fix all of her cuts and scrapes? She didn't know. But that wouldn't stop her from taking full advantage of it when she could.

Feeling much better, the child left, the cheese on the table once again neglected.

"zzzzzzzzz..."

The sound of fake sleeping noises greeted the small human in the next room. Spotting a pile of red leaves in the middle, she crept closer to investigate. A semi-transparent being was resting in the leaves, pretending to sleep. What was this? Was... was it a

"Are you a ghost?" The child asked curiously. "Or are you like a ghost monster?"

"zzzzzzzzzzz..." The ghost ignored her and continued their charade of pretend sleeping noises.

"I know you're not really sleeping!" The child pouted "Can you at least move? I need to get past you." She urged, giving the ghost a little poke.

In an instant, her golden heart appeared in front of her once again. She was actually getting used to seeing it now as it shined brilliantly before her. The little girl's attention was drawn back to the ghost however when it finally rose above the leaves,

"why did you do that...?" Napstablook asked sadly, tears streaming down their face.

"D-did I hurt you?" The child stressed, feeling instantly regretful. "I'm sorry! H-hey don't cry."

"no..." The ghost frowned sadly. "you can't really hurt me since, you know, i'm a ghost..."

"Then why are you crying?" The small human asked, perplexed. The ghost didn't answer but their tears, if possible, multiplied. They weren't harmless tears either! The child found this out quickly when a drop hit her arm and startled to sizzle a little before disappearing. It stung but it wasn't too painful. There were so many falling from the ghost however, that it became obvious that the damage would start adding up in no time. "H-hey, cheer up, you don't have to cry."

For a moment, the ghost cried a little harder but after a minute or too, their tears lessened. They didn't look happy by any means but they did seem a little less sad now.

Relieved, the child grinned up at the ghost. "Thank goodness. If you kept that up we'd both be ghosts." She joked lightheartedly.

"heh heh." Napstablook reluctantly laughed before forcing a frown back into place. "really not feelin' up to it right now. sorry." Even so, their mood seemed a bit better now.

"Yeh... that was a bad joke." The child winced looking slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry."

The ghost hesitated as they watched the small child. The human looked a bit sad. Even with their crippling depression, Napstablook could still feel regret. Maybe, they should try to cheer the human up instead? "hey..." They started in an attempt to gain the child's attention "watch this..."

Curious, the human stared up at the ghost. What would they do?

"let me try..." Concentrating, the ghost began to cry again, but this time, much to the child's relief, the tears floated up instead of dripping down onto her. They concentrated atop Napstablook's head, forming a top hat of sorts. "i call it "dapperblook." The ghost joked, their attempt at humor was deadpan at best. "do you like it...?"

Amber eyes widened almost comically as they observed the ghost in a hat. This ghost was pretty darn cool. "That's awesome!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands happily.

Napstablook, who had been eagerly awaiting the human's response, let their tears fall harmlessly this time as a bashful smile appeared on their face. "oh gee..." they said quietly as they sunk back down into the red leaves.

The child once again approached the ghost but this time she wore a friendly smile.

"i usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around..." Napstablook began shyly. "but today i met somebody nice..."

"I'm glad you were in the Ruins today." The young human said as she plopped down beside the ghost. "Because I got to meet you. I've never talked to a ghost before."

Despite the lack of logic, the ghost almost looked like they were blushing a little bit. "i'm glad i was able to meet you as well. i feel a little bit better now, so thank you." There was an awkward silence before the ghost flickered nervously. "oh, i'm rambling again. i'll get out of your way."

Before the child could even say goodbye, the strange depressed ghost had vanished into thin air leaving the path now unblocked. Frowning, she took the time to look around for them before giving up. "Goodbye I guess." She said to the empty room. "Maybe we can talk later."

She hoped she could meet the strange ghost again sometime. Maybe they could be friends.


	5. A Toy Knife?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young child discovers the joy of solving puzzles and meeting new friends.

The small child froze at the entrance to the next room. Feet refusing to move as a chill ran down her spine. Spider webs covered the walls and it could just be the little girl's imagination running wild on her but she could have sworn she heard little tippy tapping of spider feet throughout the small room. There was a sign post a few feet away but...

"No way..." Turning, the child retreated from the room. Sure, there was a deep shame in her soul but at least there weren't spiders in her hair. And at the end of the day, wasn't that all that really mattered?

Stepping into the next room, a new sign post was waiting for her.

*Did you miss it?*

*Spider Bakesale down and to the right.*

*Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!*

An involuntary shuddered went through the human's body after reading the sign. Deciding to further distance herself from potential spiders, she quickly proceeded further into the Ruins.

*Ring...*

The child continued walking as she lifted the cell phone and pressed the button below the goat lady's name.

"Hello?" Toriel spoke from the device. "I just realized that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. I hope you don't mind a little clutter."

"I-I don't mind..." The child answered uncertainly as she listened to the sound of frantic sweeping on the other end of the line. Was she cleaning? Why? "Are you coming back?" The little girl asked, failing at hiding the slight whine in her voice.

"Yes, my child, I am almost done. Please be a bit more patient." Toriel responded, humored understanding in her voice. "Just give me a few more minutes."

*Click*

With a sigh, the child pocketed her cell phone again and continued on her way.

The next room and its occupants were extremely confusing to say the very least. First there had been pitfalls in the floor which appeared to be on purpose this time. The exit was once again blocked by spikes and a switch needed to be flipped to lower them. It wasn't that difficult of a puzzle actually. The switch was easy to find and the fall to reach it on the floor below wasn't deep. It was the monsters that were the problem!

First there was a Vegetoid, a carrot monster that kept laughing and throwing vegetables at her, and a Loox, a weird hypocritical eyeball monster that, despite saying it didn't want to be picked on, kept attacking for no real reason.

After steeling herself before eating one of the offered veggies, and then vowing never to pick on Loox both monster's stopped their strange assault.

It hadn't been all bad though, since she had found a ribbon down one of the pitfalls. It was faded but still pretty. Of course, this human child would neeever wear the ribbon. It was far too girly! Even so, she couldn't bring herself to throw it away either since it was super cute...

Making the mistake of reading the stone tablet in the next room, the child's brain nearly melted.

*The far door is not an exit.*

*It simply marks a rotation in perspective.*

"What does that even mean!?" No real surprise, shouting at the tablet did nothing and the puzzle was still unsolved much to the child's grief. As if to add to the mental antagonism, there were two more monsters in this room. One of them named Moldsmal only wanted to jiggle and that made perfect sense since it looked like it was actually made of gelatin. The only problem with this one was that it wanted the child to jiggle back and was only satisfied until she finally gave in and wiggled her hips. The other monster, much to the child's displeasure, was named Migosp and its appearance was that of some kind of insect. A cockroach maybe? Not only was it unpleasant to look at, but its narcissistic personality made everything worse. The child basically had to pretend to be interested until the monster was done talking about itself and all of its supposed greatness.

The little girl was nearly in tears when she finally flipped the last switch and exited the large puzzle room. That was the absolute worst! So many switches. So many false switches! Why did they have to be hidden so well? Most importantly, why were these Ruins filled with pointless puzzles to begin with?!

A large cross made entirely of red leaves lay on the floor in the next room. Its importance was not overlooked as it seemed to point to the final room. Off to the side however was one more room and curiosity was calling. Passing the red leaf cross, the child kept walking to her right until she came to another small room.

*Ribbit, ribbit.*

A Froggit greeted as it sat outside another door. "Just between you and me..." It began conspiratorially. "I saw Toriel come out of here just a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries. I didn't ask what they were for... We're all too intimidated to talk to her."

*Ribbit*

"You know the goat lady?" The child smiled brightly. "Where is she?"

"She is somewhere around here..." The frog monster answered vaguely. "She never leaves the Ruins."

"Oh... Well thanks anyway." The small human nodded politely before walking past the amphibian and into the next room.

"Whoa..." That was all she could say as she stood on a stone balcony overlooking the enormous expanse of the yet unknown Ruins. The mighty city, now abandoned, was bathed in the gloom of the underground. The picture was almost as haunting as it was sad. Where did everyone go?

The child stayed there longer then she probably realized. There was just so much to see, it was awe inspiring. Finally able to pull her attention away from the view, she looked around the balcony she stood on. There wasn't really anything here... Except.. What was that? Walking over to the object laying a few feet away, the child bent down and picked it up.

"What is this?" The human frowned, examining her find. "A toy knife?" That's exactly what it was. Just a toy. Tossing it away carelessly, the child shrugged in disappointment. She didn't need a toy! She needed her bag. It had her REAL knife inside. Nothing fake like that. This just made the child depressed. She missed her runic blade. The one her sister had given to her as a gift. It wasn't just a knife either, it was more like... like... a good luck charm? Something special that brought her a sense of security? She wasn't sure how to describe the item. Remembering that she had accidentally left it behind, gave her a feeling of loss for some reason. Now she was upset.

Bending down, the child recollected the toy knife and tucked it away for safe keeping. It was better than nothing, right?


	6. You Can Call Me "Mom"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little girl gets a taste of what life could be like.

Backtracking to the cross made of red leaves, The child headed to what she felt was the final room.

Probably.

Inside the room, a bare blackened tree stood, its red leaves decorating the ground around it.

"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would."

Hearing, the kind goat lady's voice in real life this time, the little girl immediately perked up, a smile lighting up her face. Said goat lady, came into sight as she walked over to stand next to the blackened tree. Taking out her own cell phone she tapped on it for a moment then put it to her ear.

*Ring*

The child's pocket chimed.

Toriel looked over in confusion and spotted the wayward child. With a small gasp, she quickly made her way over. Kneeling down, she worriedly examined the human. "How did you get here, my child? Are you hurt?" Her eyes narrowed as she discovered all the bumps and scrapes, not to mention their clothes were mysteriously wet. All in all, the tiny human looked like a poor bedraggled kitten. "Who did this to you?" The kind goat lady asked, her maternal instincts activating. "You will get an apology." She vowed.

"I'm sorry for leaving the room." The child apologized. "I just got kind of..." Amber eyes fell to the side and the sentence was left unfinished.

Toriel sighed in understanding. "I should not have left you alone for so long." She said, feeling genuinely ashamed. "It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this."

"Surprise?" The child picked up on that in a flash. Surprises were good, right?

"Err..." Too late did Toriel realize her slip up. Such a quick child. Sighing again, the kind goat lady smiled warmly. "Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one!" She urged, leading the way forward.

"I'm not small..." The small child pouted for a moment before running to catch up to the nice goat lady.

Following Toriel into a large house, the child looked around curiously. This was obviously her home and it had a pleasant homey feel to it. Smiling, the human let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She felt safe here.

"Do you smell that?" Toriel asked eagerly. She watched as the child sniffed the air for a few seconds before a hungry look befell their features, their stomach growling quietly. "Surprise! It's butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So I will hold off on snail pie for tonight."

"Is snail pie good too?" The child ask with great interest. She hadn't been aware of just how hungry she was until right at this very moment! "When can we eat?"

"In a bit." Toriel answered with a humored smile as she stared down at this precious child. She knew it was a bad idea to grow too attached to this human. Odds are she would eventually lose them as well. But even so... Her protective barrier that she had spent years building was being steadily chipped away by every little thing this small child said or did. They were just too unusual. Too different than all the other children that had fallen into the underground. This child, she wanted desperately to protect. To care for. Possibly to love.

"First things first." Toriel said as she again took in the state of the child. "I think somebody needs a bath before anything else. You look chilled to the bone."

The child caught the secret smirk the kind goat lady had tried to hide after saying that. Was that an inside joke or something? Wait! That wasn't even important right now. "A-a bath?! But I don't want to!"

"Hush." Toriel laughed as she walked down the hall. "You'll feel much better once you're warmed up and in some dry clothes. Come along now, my child."

The human made a small grumpy noise but followed after her nontheless. She was probably right. Though the little girl would much rather have pie instead!

Turning into the room Toriel had entered, the child stopped suddenly in surprise. The goat lady was heating some water in a large tub and she was doing it with fire. Fire coming from her hands! Fire Magic! Rushing over, the child stared in fascination.

"Careful now, my child. Don't get too close or you could get burnt." Toriel warned nervously. The child's endless curiosity never failed to amaze her. Humans would normally be running away from her not running to her. They reminded her of a baby animal that had not yet learned to fear properly. More evidence that this tiny human needed constant protection and guidance.

With the bath water now adequately warm, Toriel helped the small child out of their wet clothes. She set aside the strange attire that consisted of mostly worn leather dyed in red and yellow and fastened together with numerous loosely tied leather straps. Underneath all of the seemingly unnecessarily complicated clothing, Toriel discovered a little girl. Honestly, she wasn't quite sure what she would find since the child's nature was a little ambiguous. Humans tended to try to display their gender through what they wore, didn't they? Maybe this particular human didn't feel the need to yet. She was still quite young. The small girl was most likely not even a decade old yet.

The child splashed around in the suds as the warmth of the water soaked into her body. The goat lady was right. This was a great idea after all. There were many bottles of liquids in assorted colors lined up on the nearby counter. Many of them were some type of fragrant fur detangler. The kind goat lady had chosen a light purple gel that smelled of lavender and was gentle enough to be used on delicate skin. It was slimy at first but foamed up quickly, adding to the already overabundance of suds in the bathtub.

Once the soap was completely rinsed away, Toriel lifted the little girl out of the water and wrapped her in a large fluffy blue towel. The child had been dirtier than the kind goat lady had realized. Not only had she been covered in a thin layer of grime but for some reason she also had a few leaves tangled in her short auburn hair and some type of strange vegetable juice spattered here and there. All and all, the small child had been a real mess. Now however, much to Toriel's great relief, the human was sparkling clean and smelled much better than before.

Opening the bathroom door, Toriel held her hand out to the human. "Come, my child, I have another surprise for you."

"What is it?" The little girl asked, eagerly taking the goat monster's hand. "Is it food?"

Toriel held back a laugh. This child had a one track mind and it was obviously in her stomach. "Patience, young one. In a few minutes the pie will be ready but for now I have something else to show you." Leading the way down the hall, she stopped in front of a closed door. "This is it..." She smiled. "A room of your own. I hope you like it!"

"It's my room?" The little girl asked. Looking up at the motherly monster, her amber eyes filled with excitement and wonder. She'd never had her own room before since she always had to share with the smallest children. This was like some kind of privilege and she wasn't quite sure how she had earned it. Looking back to the closed door, she suddenly felt unworthy of such a gift.

Toriel looked down at the small child still bundled in the large blue bath towel. There was a look of uncertainty on her face as she stared at the closed door. Reaching down, the kind goat lady placed a comforting hand to the child's damp hair. Once she had regained the little one's attention, she gave her a warm smile and opened the door. "There are some fresh clothes in the wardrobe, I'm sure some of the smaller ones will fit you. Pick whichever you like. When you're done, come find me. I will be just down the hall."

Watching the child wander into the room filled Toriel with a strange kind of happiness she hadn't felt in many years. Memories of previous lost children bubbled up in her mind. Some were more pleasant than others. Before she made the mistake of letting herself reminisce on past events, a smokey aroma wafted into her nose. "Is something burning...?" The pie! Eyes widening in alarm, Toriel quickly told the child to make herself at home before dashing away towards the kitchen.

The little girl gave the departing goat lady a strange look before she returned to exploring her new room. It was a reasonably sized room with walls that had been painted a soft orange and a large rectangular area rug in the center of the floor that shared the same color. A small twin sized bed on the right side of the room was neatly made with a dark orange bedspread.

Walking over to the small wooden box in front of the bed, the child found a bunch of cool toys, though none of them really interested her. She was far too old for toys!

On the shelf, she found a dusty old picture frame, though for some reason, it was empty. She didn't know why, but it felt sad. Beside the shelf, another wooden box sat. Inside of this box was an assortment of mismatched children's shoes of varying sizes. A few of them might have fit this particular human child but, alas, none of them had a match.

Looking inside the old wardrobe, the little girl discovered plenty of shirts hanging from hangers. Below them were stacks of pants that had been neatly folded. Upon closer inspection, the child noticed a distinct pattern. All of the shirts came in various colors but for some reason they were all striped. No solid colors anywhere to be seen. Not that it really mattered of course...

Tugging at the long sleeve of a dark red shirt with broad yellow bands, the child freed it from its hanger. This article of clothing was obviously too big for her. Regardless of this fact, the little girl dropped the towel she was wrapped in and wiggled into the fabric with glee. The hem of the shirt easily fell past her hips and the sleeves would definitely need to be rolled up. But this was the one she wanted! She threw on some dark pants to complete her new outfit and before you could say "Was that a human?" the human had sped out of the room in search of pie.

Toriel sighed to herself in relief; the pie hadn't burnt. If fact, it had turned out perfect. Holding the plate that held the large cinnamon-butterscotch pie with both hands, she turned to take it to the dinning table. Before she could take a single step however, she gave a sudden start of surprise. A single amber eye was spying on her from behind the wall in the dinning room. "Oh! You startled me." Toriel admitted in a rush.

The little girl, knowing she had been spotted, stepped out from behind the wall and grinned widely. "Is that a pie?"

"It is." Toriel nodded, smiling warmly. "Why don't we both have a slice or two?" The child's eyes lit up instantly and she followed the goat monster to the dinning table.

When a slice of pie was finally set in front of the little girl, she inhaled the aroma hungrily. Whatever this cinnamon or butterscotch was, it smelled delicious! Before digging in, the child hesitated when a silver forked object was placed next to her plate. Sneaking a glance at the goat lady, she saw her pick up her own silver stick and scoop some of the pie onto it before lifting it to her mouth.

Grabbing the silver object, the little girl crudely mimicked Toriel. It took a couple tries but finally she was able to stuff her mouth with pie. A burst of flavor exploded inside her mouth and she greedily stuffed even more in. It was so good!

"Slow down, my child." Toriel warned quickly. "You don't want to choke." This small human must have actually been starving. The kind goat lady watched in slight worry as the child pretty much ignored her and continued devouring the slice of pie in a ravenous flurry. She didn't want to ask right away, but the question of where this child had come from was becoming more pressing to her. It was strange, the human's clothes were not exactly old fashioned and yet at the same time they were. Not to mention, the previous fallen children had been dressed in more modern clothing with more modern gadgets and accessories. This one had nothing but the clothes on her back and the appetite of at least three children. She also didn't seem to know how to properly use dinning utensils...

"Can I have some more?" The little girl asked as she eyed the rest of the pie. The size of it was intimidating but she had the Courage to try!

"Maybe you should wait a little while for what you already ate to settle first." Toriel tried to reason.

"Please?" The child practically pleaded. "It's really yummy!"

"Monster food is made with magic, dear." Toriel tried again to reason. "It might be better to see how your stomach handles it first."

"I once ate a caterpillar by accident." The child revealed. "And I didn't even get sick!"

"Say no more, my child..." Toriel conceded weakly, her own stomach turning as she slid another slice over to the black hole disguised as a small human girl.

Once the child had finally had her fill of butterscotch-cinnamon pie, a heavy feeling of drowsiness befell her. Yawning, she had placed her head on the dinning table next to her half empty plate. She hadn't been this full in like forever...

Toriel had carried the sleepy child to her new room and tucked her into bed. The poor dear was absolutely exhausted. Without much thought, the kind goat lady brushed the dark hair from the child's face with her large furry hand. Amber eyes fluttered open at the touch and a small smile appeared on the child's face as she turned towards her. "This must be what it's like to have a mom..."

Toriel felt her heart skip a beat at the small child's words. She hadn't been referred to as a 'mom' in so very long. She knew she didn't deserve it either. After all, she had failed at being a mother. There was no other way of looking at it. Still... Did this child not have a mother? Was this little girl an orphan perhaps? There were so many questions she wanted to ask but now wasn't the time. Staring down at the small human, Toriel felt warmth rise in her chest. She knew it was a bad idea to get attached, but... "You can call me Mom if that would make you happy."

Eyes now closed and a peaceful look on her face, the little girl was fast asleep. Toriel smiled sadly. It was probably for the best that her offer went unanswered.

"Sleep well, young one."


End file.
